Woof: National Dog Week in Full Swing

By Alysia Gray Painter •Published September 23, 2009•Updated on September 23, 2009 at 10:00 am

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Some -- okay, most -- dog people would say that National Dog Week is every week in their house. It started the week their new pup took over the couch, continued when the little kissy took over the bed, and is honored with each and every treat.

But there is actually an official, observed in certain quarters National Dog Week, and it starts on September 22nd and goes through September 28th. And it is actually nearly three quarters of a century old. And it has a yearly theme; in 2009 it is "Man's Best Friend."

That could be the theme each and every year, yes? But, in honor of it, and to celebrate the millions of mutties we love on, we're thinking of a few to-dos that can be done over the next week.

-- Spend an afternoon at Santana Row, where you can take your 4-legged family member with you to shop and snack.

-- Buy baby a new bed, if it is all rippy and chewed-out. Or some different treats (thank you, Three Dog Bakery, for making those wee but woofer-tempting Jump 'n Sit Bits). And find a fresh sock for Honey to chew, if the old one is looking like a crumpled up tissue.

Wait. We take that last one back. Have you ever seen a dog's eyes when her favorite sock goes into Mr. Trash? Bitterness. Sadness. Keep the old and the well-saliva'd, we say.